Menu

Monthly Archives: November 2009

“If you only have one breath left, use it to say thank you.”
~ Pam Brown ~

I’m still breathing, thank you, and…thank YOU.

I wondered whether to send a Thanksgiving appreciation because I’ve always secretly thought that the main reason businesses (and people in professional services like mine) sent them was to do subtle marketing and I didn’t want to play that game or have people think that.

But then I read the quote I included above just a few minutes ago and realized I was buying into the same cynicism that my life is committed to replacing with inspiration, appreciation and enthusiasm. In an instant I remembered there is never a bad time to say thank you. Never. Ever.

So here I am, beyond grateful and deeply humbled by the remarkable, kind, loving, generous people including you, who continue to touch my life and remind me of what’s really important.

As one wise woman said to me after one of my programs, the most important thing I’ve learned is the most important question of all, “How can we love each other better right now?”

I second that emotion!

You are so good at loving me in your unique creative ways. You give me your time, you’re still on my contact list, you open my emails and answer surveys, you send me appreciation, you tell me the truth when it’s sometimes hard to hear but I need to hear it, you hire me, you listen to me at speeches, you read my books, you share your heart, you open your mind – and mine – to new possibilities. When I question myself you encourage me to keep going. You live with such grace and commitment when it’s really hard, and you keep going when it would be easier to give up. YOU inspire ME.

Thank you.

Love, whether we call it appreciation, gratitude, hugging, smiling, laughing together, crying together, holding hands, standing for each other, or just listening, Love is the ultimate Thanksgiving. Please let me know what I can do to love you better.

May you and I and all beings have many breaths and many thank you’s remaining in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving.

“A happy life
is just a string
of happy moments.
But most people don’t allow
the happy moment,
because they’re so busy
trying to get a happy life.”

~ Abraham ~

String together happy moments; I love this idea. It’s so easy to get lost worrying about the future or thinking through a challenging situation, comparing myself to others, hearing bad news, or any of the many other ways we human beings naturally distract ourselves from experiencing all the good in our lives. I have to remind myself, sometimes even with a timer, to take a breath and reground myself in the present moment to stay connected to the beauty in this world.

One quick way to create a string of happy moments for yourself is to allow yourself to take a deep breath right now, put a smile on your face – a big one – and hold it for 16 seconds while repeating slowly, “Thank you.” Look around you and find something to focus on that makes you feel good and savor the feeling for another moment. And another. Do this as often as you can throughout your day.

If you can’t find something positive where you are, choose to think of your own smile as what’s giving you happiness in this moment. That choice alone can lead to happier moments and a happier life.